Gabriel's Checklist (or, How To Survive Your First Christmas in Manila)

□ Be ready to put your stomach to the test.

□ Be ready to put your stomach to the test.

8:00 AM

"Diana."

Fi's mother looked up from the tsokolate de batirol she was preparing and cast a gentle smile at Gabriel. "Yes, hijo. Do you need something? Are you hungry? I'm almost done cooking..."

Hungry? Hardly. The rice cakes they ate after coming home from church were filling enough to last him another two hours, at least. But it seemed Diana was in the middle of preparing a meal, if the pans on the stovetop were any indication. There was fried rice in one pan and some sweet-savory sausages in the other. A platter on the kitchen counter had a few fried eggs, cooked sunny-side up.

Is this lunch? But it's only eight o' clock!

Gabriel waved his hand no, a quick response to Diana's question. While the scent of food was heavenly, his stomach twisted in small, painful knots. This only usually happened when he'd done something horribly wrong and had no choice but tell his mother before she found out from someone else. Even the worst of work mishaps weren't enough to make him feel this kind of unease.

"Are you looking for Fi? I think she's napping in her room right now."

"No, I..." Gabriel's words were cut short when Diana left what she was doing on the kitchen counter to mind the sausages in the frying pan. She picked up a pair of tongs and turned each sausage, making sure the side previously submerged in oil was nicely cooked. Fat from the meat made small explosions that made Gabriel flinch, but Diana worked steadily, moving on to the fried rice when she was done with the sausages.

Every movement Diana made in front of the kitchen stove reminded Gabriel of his own mother. For a moment, he wondered what Jean Park was up to in their New York City apartment. Probably snuggled up to her dog—a golden retriever named Ginger—while watching her favorite show on TV. He smiled at the thought, making a mental note to call her in the morning.

"Let me help you," he offered, scanning the kitchen counter for possible tasks. Chopping, slicing, mixing, maybe? His eyes drifted to the pile of dirty dishes on the sink.

"Naku, hijo. You're a guest here, I can't let you."

"No, please... I insist. I can wash the dishes for you. I'm excellent at washing dishes."

The woman laughed. "You're bored, ano? It's too bad Carlos isn't here—I'm sure you young men can find something to do. Let me wake Fi instead. Sandali—"

Gabriel touched Diana's arm. "Please don't. It's really fine. Actually, I wanted to speak to you too."

"Oh?" Diana looked at him thoughtfully. "What about?"

First of all, you've got to make your intentions known, Carlos had told him earlier. Not only to Fi, but to her family. It's a form of respect. Not a lot of people do that anymore, but I think Tita Diana will appreciate it. Fi too.

"I really like Fi," he said, stating the obvious. A smile slowly lifted the corners of Diana's lips as he struggled with his words. "And I, uh—I wanted to let you know that I'm... making lugaw."

The smile on Diana's face broke into a wide grin before laughter took over. "Oh, Gabriel. It's ligaw, not lugaw! Lugaw is porridge!"

"Ah. Right."

"Unless you want to make lugaw for her too, then that's fine."

Gabriel laughed along with Diana, the knots on his stomach finally loosening. "No, I'm pretty sure what you're cooking would be enough. Please let me help you. It's the least I could do for crashing here."

"Oh, shush. You are always welcome here," Diana said. "But if you insist, you can help me with Fi's favorite hot chocolate."

He agreed, and Diana patiently taught him how to whisk melted tablea—pure cacao beans roasted, ground, and molded into small round discs—with a bit of milk and muscovado sugar. She showed him how to work the molinillo, a wooden whisk she held between her palms and rotated as she rubbed her hands together.

"Fi likes it really rich and frothy," Diana offered. "So you have to do a good job whisking the chocolate."

"All right."

"It's a little tricky the first few times, but your hands look strong. I think you'll do well."

And he did, several agonizing minutes later. A proud smile appeared on Gabriel's face when the hot chocolate finally turned nice and frothy under his care. Diana gave him small cups to pour the drink into, and he managed to do so without spilling any of the precious chocolate.

Soon, it seemed that the delicious aroma reached the second floor of the Legaspi household, because Fi shuffled into the dining area just as Gabriel and Diana were setting the table. She didn't seem fully awake yet, but she gravitated toward her usual spot at the table and settled in her seat.

"Oh good, you're awake!" Diana exclaimed. "Let's have breakfast!"

"Good morning, Fi," Gabriel greeted, placing a cup of tsokolate de batirol in front of her.

She looked up at him with a sleepy smile he found terribly endearing. "Good morning, Gabe."