Fundamentals of Marriage | Suarez I TBP: IMMAC 2026

Chapter 30

"Who is that girl, Mommy?"

Felize was pointing her finger at the big canvas. The little girl there was a having a peek inside the messy closet, her hands holding both of its handles—ready to open.

"What is she doing? Are they playing hide and seek like what I and Mimi play?"

I beamed because she made sense.

The woman was hiding, the little girl looked like searching for her because they were playing. I didn't intend to make it look like that. But what a perspective for a six-year-old kid!

"No, Felize. They are not playing. Actually, they didn't know each other immediately. The woman had no idea she would meet the kid.

"The woman was hiding but not from her, she was hiding from the cruel world. She was afraid to go out because... she was wearing a different color most people may not like."

"The little girl is helping her?" Tumaas ang boses niya.

"She is opening the door for her. She is telling her to be brave and face the battle. She is teaching her how to get out of the closet," I explained.

"Wow. She must be an angel, Mommy."

My smile widened. "She is." You are an angel, Felize.

Sinundan ko ng lakad ang anak nang lumipat siya sa susunod na obra ko. It was as big as the first one. The first painting meant the process, the next two meant the outcome.

Felize stayed still for a minute as if she was trying to decipher the meaning behind it. She grew up as a keen observer, mana sa 'kin—o sa kung sino pa ang pagmamanahan niya.

"Why is she afraid to go out when she's this beautiful?" Tumingala siya para tagpuin ang mga mata ko pagkatapos makita ang mukha ng babaeng nagtatago.

My tears almost fell in the warmth of her words. Bumaba ako upang pantayan ang taas niya. Then, I looked at the painting.

"She was afraid because... someone told her you need to be perfect to be loved, you need to be the best to be chosen. So... she let another identity eat her alive while the real her started rotting inside the closet..."

Felize was intently listening to me. She looked so invested it made me want to explain every detail.

"Then an angel came to her life. She's an unexpected friend. She became her ally, the missing piece that fill the emptiness of her soul. She taught her everything she wished she knew from the beginning. She didn't feel the need to be a coward again. Step by step, she freed herself." I caressed her cheek and pinched it lightly. "With the help of an angel."

"That was deep, Mommy. You are amazing." She gave me thumbs up. I couldn't resist it so I kissed her. "That means she's out of her comfort zone now?"

I nodded, eyes watering. "Yes, baby."

The ghost is finally out of the closet.

I made sequels for my first painting. The first was the one I sold in the exhibit. I named the second one. 'Hello, Who's inside?' I thought it would be perfect since I never confirmed that the woman inside was a ghost. The answer then could be found on the last piece which I called 'Aurora'.

Aurora means dawn, so I made her wear a black dress—blue, yellow, and orange hues dispersing from the bottom of the skirt all the way up.

I wanted it to reflect rebirt—like starting anew with a braver soul and a heart that knew her worth.

"Where are you? The program will start in ten minutes," si Kennedy.

"We're on our way. Count thirty seconds and you'll see me." I chuckled.