DDLFM #1: The Journalist's Secret

CHAPTER TEN

BIRTHDAY

ANNIKA'S day with Cecilia went by like how time would — fast. Ngayon ay na sa apartment siyang mag-isa. For some reason, Annika felt uncomfortable with the current status of her life. It must be because Evan is no longer a part of her daily life routine.

After placing her things down, Annika slumped on the couch.

Remembering that she has to call her dad for updates, she took her phone out from her pocket and typed her dad's name to FaceTime him.

Umayos ng upo si Annika at siniguradong kuha ng camera ang kaniyang mukha. Hindi si Annika ang tipong dalaga na komportable humarap sa camera kahit na sa virtual calls man lang.

Tinuon ni Annika ang kaniyang atensyon sa screen. She's facing the man, her father, who abandoned her during her lowest point in life.

There were strikes of gray among her father's hair, wrinkles showing on the corner of his smiles and around his eyes. He shares the same golden ores as his daughter.

"Hello pa..." Annika looked at the man she resembles the most, well in terms of habits and mannerism. She hates to admit it but her mother's gene fought hard and won.

"Hello," Alejandro smiled as he awkwardly holds his phone to show his face and see his daughter. Just like most fathers that were born decades ago, Alejandro is not so comfortable with using cell phones unlike other gadgets that he used before.

Alejandro's a bit tech-y but not with the recent developments.

"How's your day with Cecilia?" Alejandro can picture them together enjoying their day. They were so close as kids, like what Annika's mother told him before.

He looked at his hands when he remembered his ex-wife. The mark of the ring he used to wear is still on his ring finger, but the vow and the person left him a long time ago.

"I enjoyed it a lot... We even had dinner at my favorite place." Alejandro's face softened. Back then, before the fall out of their family, he used to take his girls to a restaurant. Annika always says that she loves that place.

Annika's heart was in a mess. It was her favorite place because whenever they ate there, her mother would wipe sauce from the sides of her lips and would even look at her. Annika craves even for a slight glance or few words that her mother gives to her.

The father-daughter pair did not notice that they were thinking deeply about the person who was the detrimental reason for their family's separation.

"Anak, I hope you cherished your time with Cecilia at that place." Saying such things left a bitter taste on Alejandro's mouth.

"I did, Papa."

They talked a lot about each other's day. It's the first time that they had a normal talk as a father and a daughter. Before everything went down, Annika would spend the entire duration of a day following her father around like a baby duck.

After a few reminders about the process of her departure from the Philippines, they bid goodbyes.

Si Annika ang pumindot ng end call, huminga siya ng malalim at natulala.

Annika turned her phone off. Considering the pain her mother caused her, she should hate her mother, but she can't help but crave for her attention and love. Even when her mother and father were still together, Annika never received genuine actions or words from her mother. She couldn't understand why her mother would only tend to her when her father is watching.

No matter how much her father showers her with love before, as a kid, Annika always longed to be treated as her mother's beloved daughter.

"Haaaah..." She lazily crouched on the comfort of her fluffy couch like how a fetus rests in its mother's womb.